10 southern Alberta men charged in child porn sting

It’s barely a drop in the tide of child pornography trafficked online in Alberta every day, but investigators hope a recent bust that resulted in charges against 10 men sends a message that pedophiles can’t hide in the Internet’s darkest corners.

“The message is that we are watching. There is no anonymity for you. We are watching and we will target you for criminal investigation,” said Staff Sgt. John Guigon of Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams, which conducted the four-month probe that resulted in the arrests and the seizure of thousands of child pornography images and videos.

“Unfortunately, the reality is that these arrests, this operation, is actually going to have a very minimum impact on the flow of those child sexual exploitation videos and images,” Guigon said Tuesday.

“But as long as people know we’re out there watching, I think we’ve accomplished something,”

Because research has shown a high proportion of child pornography offenders have either already molested children or will go on to commit sex offences against kids, one investigator said the online stings are a valuable tactic.

“We can seek out individuals who may or may not have come to light,” said Const. Rob MacGregor, a Lethbridge Regional Police investigator assigned to the ICE unit.

“It’s always good to stop something before it can happen, and that’s what we’re hoping to accomplish with some of our proactive cases.”

Starting in December, officers from the southern Alberta ICE unit based in Calgary served 13 search warrants throughout the region.

They seized more than 330 computers and electronic devices, which police believe contain thousands of illicit photos and videos.

The following people were charged with possessing, accessing and making child pornography available:

Adam Broeske, 27, of Calgary

Brian Harrison, 65, of Pincher Creek

Brandon Hersey, 28, of Calgary

Paul Marshall, 47, of Lethbridge

Dave Munroe, 54, of Lethbridge

Matthew Rolph, 22, of Calgary

Ockert Stewart, 28, of Calgary

Ian St. Lewis, 56, of Calgary

Randall Scott, 52, of Calgary

Kyle Ware, 27, of Okotoks

As forensic analysts and technicians go through the materials to look for more evidence, more charges could be laid.

“It’s very conceivable they’ll discover more offences and possibly even more offenders” Guigon said.

So far, police haven’t uncovered any evidence of the suspects committing any offences recorded by the images and videos.

Part of the investigation will involve sending evidence to the National Child Exploitation Co-ordination Centre in Ottawa to try to identify the children being abused in the seized files.

One investigator acknowledged viewing and cataloguing the evidence is disturbing work — but it’s also necessary.

“We have to do it. That’s what we signed up for,” said Det. Dean Jacobs.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.